


Fires and Foundations

by Kydove



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bullying, Domestic Avengers, F/M, Field Trip, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 19:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18901258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kydove/pseuds/Kydove
Summary: When a fire causes damage to their apartment, Peter and Aunt May find themselves in need of a place to stay. Tony Stark offers to let them live with him and the other Avengers in Stark Tower, having grown closer to his young protege in the months since the incident with Toomes.Peter juggles living with his childhood heroes, being mentored by the great Tony Stark, and battling with his newfound feelings for MJ. On top of that, being in close proximity to such public figures puts Peter's own secret identity at risk.And a future field trip to Stark Tower could expose every secret Peter has tried so hard to maintain.





	Fires and Foundations

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in an alternate timeline created by Endgame.
> 
> Notes on Timeline
> 
> Timeline diverges from 2014 when Thanos travels with his army to 2026 with help of Nebula  
> Guardians of the Galaxy never form, Peter Quill sells Power Stone to the Agent of the Collector  
> No Infinity War or Endgame (No Thanos)  
> Alive Loki (and all the other Asgardian refugees)

 

After the fire broke out they weren’t sure what to do. Neither of them had been in the building when it happened, and both of them were thankful beyond words for that. May was supposed to have been home but was covering a shift for a manager who had needed the day off for an emergency doctor’s appointment, and Peter had been at school. So when Peter had rounded the corner onto his block, it was to stare wide-eyed at the collection of emergency vehicles stopped in front of their apartment building, their emergency lights flashing in unison. Then he saw the flames. Pillars of orange and yellow rose from the windows on the fourth floor, pumping out plumes of thick black smoke between the buildings and high into the sky. Emergency workers had cordoned off the street with yellow police tape, and a few people had stopped on their way to whatever they were doing to watch in fascination, taking pictures of the controlled chaos as the firefighters worked endlessly to stop the spread of the fire. Peter knew fires in the city were dangerous, because if they couldn’t get it under control it would spread, and then it may be too late.

 

Peter thought of taking off into an alley and pulling on his suit, but he knew Spider-Man could be of little help. He’d probably only end up getting in the way, and that wouldn’t have been good for anyone. So instead, Peter pulled out his battered cellphone. Mr. Stark had offered to give him a new one, the latest Stark Industries model, but Peter had kindly refused. Since the incident with Toomes during Homecoming, Mr. Stark had decided to take a more hands-on approach to their relationship. Peter was appreciative of that and didn't want to take advantage of it. So he navigated the cracked screen and dialled Aunt May's contact. 

 

She answers almost immediately, as he never calls her at work unless it's an emergency. “Peter, what's wrong?”

 

He can hear the hustle and bustle of the office in the background. “The apartment building is on fire.” He says, watching the flames. The firefighters seemed to have contained the blaze, minimizing the damage, but smoke still rises high into the sky.

 

“What!?” May yells, and he can hear her excusing people as she tries to navigate the office. “Oh my God, Peter, are you okay?” She whispers frantically. 

 

“Yeah, Aunt May, I'm fine!” He's quick to reassure her. “I just got home from school. The street is blocked off.” 

 

“Thank God.” He can hear the relief in her voice. “Listen, I'm leaving work. I'll be there as soon as I can. Where are you?” He rattles off the street corner he's standing at. Firefighters were now entering the building, which was good. It was under control enough that is somewhat safe to enter. “Okay, stay where you are. And for  _ fuck’s _ sake, don't do anything stupid. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, May.” He says, and he stays on the line until she hangs up. He watches two firefighters carry someone out of the front entrance. His enhanced eyesight lets him see clearly. It was the kind Korean lady who lived on the fourth floor. She would give him a smile if they crossed paths on his way out of the building, and she once offered him a cookie from a tray that she was taking to a bake sale. She seemed fine, covered in soot but otherwise unharmed. Smoke inhalation. She's placed on a gurney, an oxygen mask over her face. The next body they bring out is placed in a black body bag. Peter regrets not doing anything, clenching his fists and thinking of Uncle Ben.

  
  


\--

  
  


He voices his regret to Aunt May when she arrives, the car barely stopped before she's leapt out onto the curb and embraced him in an iron grip.

 

“There’s nothing you could have done.” She whispered into his hair, running her hand down his spine. “First responders were already here.” 

 

He nods, knowing she's speaking the truth, but the guilt still gnaws at his gut regardless.  _ He could have done something. Anything. _ It's too late now though. So instead he clutches tighter to May, glad she wasn't home, and he knows she feels the same.

  
  


\--

  
  


The apartment wasn't directly affected by the fire, but the smoke damage was severe. Most of their sentimental items survived with minimal damage, but the furniture was toast. The apartment wouldn't be habitable for at least three months. They couldn't enter the apartment until the authorities were sure the structural integrity hadn't been damaged in the blaze. So May put them up in Hotel. Nothing to fancy, a modest sized room. Neither of them had a change of clothes.

 

May decided to take a shower. Peter sat on one of the beds, placing his schoolbag on the floor. As May entered the bathroom, he could see tears welled in her eyes. She closed the door softly behind her, and Peter felt a tear of his own slip down his cheek. The things damaged would never be recovered again. Things that had been there since Ben. He heard the water turn on and he pulled out his phone.

 

He had three missed calls and half a dozen texts from Tony Stark.

 

Peter blinked a couple of times and was about to check his voicemail when the phone rang again. He answered quickly.

 

“Yes, Mr. Stark?” He spoke quietly, hearing a rush of breath on the other end of the call.

 

“Thank God, Kid.” Mr. Stark spoke quickly, sounding both relieved and frustrated. “I've been trying to get a hold of you all afternoon. You used to text Happy religiously, and now you don't answer your phone? What gives, Pete?”

 

“Sorry, Mr. Stark. There was a-”

 

Tony interrupted him. “A fire, I know Kid.  _ F R.I.D.A.Y.  _ told me. That's why I've been trying to talk to you. Are you okay, for Pete's sake?” 

 

Peter couldn't help but grin. “Yes, I'm okay for my sake.”

 

“Don't get smart Pete, this is serious. What happened?”  

 

Peter sighed, running a hand through his brown curls. “I don't know Mr. Stark. When I got home from school the first responders were there. It looked like the fire was contained to the fourth floor, but there was a lot of smoke damage.”

 

“And what about your Aunt Hottie, is she alright?” Tony asked, and Peter made a face.

 

“Yeah, Aunt May's fine. She was at work today, so neither of us were home.”

 

“That’s good to hear, Pete,” Tony said with a sigh. “I'm glad that you both are alright. What's happening with your apartment?”

 

Peter huffed. “We don't know yet. We can't enter the upper floors until they know the structure is safe, so we haven't been able to see the apartment. But May said we're probably looking at least a few months until we can live there again, the smoke damage to the building was pretty severe.”

 

“And where are you two now?” There was something in Mr. Stark’s voice that made Peter hesitate. He could picture the older man spinning in a swivel chair, chewing on his stylus like he did when formulating plans for a project.

 

“Uh, well, Aunt May is putting us up in a Hotel for a couple of nights. She's gonna call a few of her friends, see if we can stay with one of them until-”

 

“Nonsense.” There was a smile in Mr. Stark’s voice, and Peter gulped. “You’ll stay here at the Tower.”

 

Peter nearly choked on his own tongue. “M-Mr. Stark, that's not necessary. We’ll be fine.” 

 

He could almost hear Mr. Stark shake his head. “Nope, I won't hear a word of refusal. This is non-negotiable Peter.”

 

“My Aunt-” Tony interrupted him once again. Talking with Tony Stark often felt like a game of Tennis, constantly moving to keep up with the ball.

 

“I'm sure your Aunt will be fine with it. It'll take some stress off her shoulders.” Tony sounded as cheerful as ever, “ _ F.R.I.D.A.Y.  _ just sent me the address of your hotel. I'm sending Happy to pick you up.”

 

“Mr. Stark-” 

 

But he had disconnected the call. Peter pulled his phone away from his ear, glaring at the cracked screen. Almost immediately he received a text from Tony.

 

_ See ya soon, Kid! - T.S. _

 

Peter growled.

  
  


\--

  
  


When Aunt May emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing the same shirt and slacks she wore to work that morning, but her plum jacket was thrown over the single armchair in the corner of the room. Peter was still staring at his phone, thinking about his conversation with Mr. Stark. 

 

“Hey, kiddo, who was that? I could hear you even with the shower on.” She took a seat on the bed next to him, placing a hand on his back and rubbing soothing circles on his shoulder blades. He looked up at his Aunt, and he sees the redness in her eyes, her puffy cheeks, and he knew she had been crying. He gave her a weak smile.

 

“It was, uh, Mr. Stark.” Peter sees her expression change in an instant. A hardness overcomes her eyes, and her lips tighten. She doesn't remove her hand from his back but stops her motions.

 

Things had been tense in regards to Tony Stark since May found out what his ‘internship’ really was. The week after May found out had been the tensest in recent memory. She had confiscated the suit and confined him to his room, and he heard through his closed door as May had laid into Mr. Stark with a ferocity that had surprised even him. She hadn't said anything else to him that night. He'd fallen asleep with a rock in his stomach, guilt making it difficult to sleep. He should have told her...but he thought she wouldn't understand. He had a  _ responsibility. _ He was woken the next morning by May knocking on his door, and sticking her head in. She looked less angry than the night before, but frustration still lined her face.

 

“Get up. We're going upstate.” And she’d left him to get ready.

 

The ride up had been long and awkward, filled with tense silence. He kept his eyes on the passing scenery. When they arrived at the Avengers Compound, he got out of the car and shuffled his feet as they approached the entrance. This was it. May wasn't going to let him Spider-Man anymore, and she had gotten Mr. Stark to agree with her. They'd left the Compound with new ground rules in place, and a promise from Mr. Stark to be more hands-on in his mentoring. From that day, he spent every other weekend at either the Compound or the Tower, working with Mr. Stark in his lab. They’d even made his ‘internship’ official, and he was now listed as Tony Stark's Personal Intern within the Stark Industries database. Despite this, Aunt May still had a sore spot about the fact that Mr. Stark had repeatedly gone behind her back.

 

“And what did Mr. Stark want?” She asked now, continuing to rub his shoulders.

 

“He, uh, heard about the fire and wanted to make sure we were okay?” He's not sure why he phrased it as a question, and May looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“And?” She asked with a grin.

 

“And, uh, he's sending Happy to pick us up. Hetolduswe'regoingtostayattheTower.” He finished in a rush. He looked up at May sheepishly. She frowned.

 

“While I appreciate Mr. Stark's courtesy, we’re fully capable of managing on our own.” She had gotten that stubborn look in her eyes. Peter opened his mouth, closed it, thinking of what to say.

 

“Aunt May, I-I think it might be a good idea.” She opened her mouth to say something, so Peter steamed on, hoping to get out what he wanted to say before he lost his confidence. “I mean, one adult and a teenage boy? None of your friends have room for us, not for the amount of time we need it. We’d just be imposing. Mr. Stark has more than enough room for us and-” He stopped, not sure what else to say. 

 

May made to say something, thought better of it, and turned to look at the wall for a few minutes. Peter stayed quiet, letting his Aunt think. Finally, with almost a look of resignation in her eyes, she turned to him and spoke.

 

“So he sent someone to pick us up?”

 

Peter grinned.

  
  


\--

  
  


Peter took a quick shower and dried his hair half-heartedly when he stepped out. As he towelled off, he looked at himself in the mirror, thinking of how much things had changed over the past year. The trip to Oscorp and the spider bite, Uncle Ben and becoming Spider-Man, meeting Mr. Stark and the fight in Berlin. Then the incident with Toomes three months ago. Peter shivered. He could feel the weight of the building pressing down on him, the pressure of the Vulture's talons squeezing his chest. Peter leant against the countertop for a moment, breathing deeply.

 

When he had calmed down, he pulled on his old clothes and exited the bathroom. May was sitting on the bed, on her phone, most likely messaging her friends about what had happened. Peter was reminded he still had to text Ned, which was what he planned on doing before Mr. Stark called. May looked up at him.

 

“Feeling better?” She asked, giving him a warm smile. 

 

“Yeah.” He said, though the remnants of his near panic attack still pulsed through his body. 

 

When he picked up his phone, he saw a message from Happy Hogan; marked three minutes ago. 

 

_ Almost there. Meet you up front.  _

 

Peter looked at May, who had slipped her phone into her purse. “We should check out, ” he said, “Happy will be here soon.”

 

May nodded, standing up and grabbing her jacket which she slipped on over her blouse. She grabbed her purse and Peter grabbed his schoolbag. “Who’s Happy?” She asked as they exited the room.

 

“Mr. Stark's head of Security.” He said as they entered the elevator. May pressed the button for the lobby. “Well, he's Asset Management now. Whatever that means.”

 

May chuckled. “And Mr. Stark makes his Head of Security pick up destitute boys and their Aunt?”

 

Peter laughed. “Mr. Stark makes Happy get him cheeseburgers, I think we're a step up.” The doors opened, but not on the lobby, and two other guests stepped into the elevator. The rest of the ride down was quiet.

 

When they reached the lobby, May and Peter stepped out with the other two guests. While Aunt May dealt with checking out, Peter checked his phone. He had another text from Happy.

 

_ Here. In pick up lane. _

 

Peter sent a quick reply:  _ Got it! Be out in a minute! _

 

The response was immediate:  _ Don't keep me waiting or I'm leaving you here. _

 

Peter grinned:  _ Love you too Happy. _

 

Quick as a bullet:  _ Don't push it, kid. _

 

Peter laughed, and instead of replying he typed out a message to Ned:  _ Hey dude. Bad news. There was a fire at our apartment building. We can't stay there for a while. Smoke damage. _

 

He hit send and slipped his phone into his pocket as Aunt May made her way toward him. “Happy’s here.” He said, and she nodded, looking uneasy. 

 

They made their way toward the entrance. “I'm still not sure about this, Peter.”

 

Peter gave a tired smile. “It's the best option, Aunt May. And besides…” they exited out into the busy sidewalk. Peter saw the black Audi parked in the pickup lane and managed to catch Happy's eyes through the crowd. The besuited man opened his door, stepping around the car. “I don't think Mr. Stark would offer unless it was sincere. He's inviting us into his home.”

 

Aunt May smiled. “I think you're right Peter.” They had arrived at the car, and Aunt May looked at Happy as he stepped forward. The man gave Peter a small smile. Since Toomes, Peter and Happy had warmed up to each other, if only by a little.

 

“Hey, kid. Mrs. Parker, it's a...pleasure to finally meet you.” Happy seemed to stutter as he greeted Peter's Aunt, and the boy looked on dumbfounded as Happy wiped his hands on his jacket before holding it out to May in greeting. “Happy Hogan, Head of Security and Asset Management at Stark Industries.” 

 

Aunt May smiled, brushing her hair behind her shoulder as she shook Happy's hand. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Mr. Hogan.”

 

“Happy, please. You look very lovely, Mrs. Parker.” The man said with a smile.

 

Aunt May laughed. “Thank you, Happy. After the day I've had, that's the last thing I expected to hear.”

 

Aunt May let go of Happy's hand, and the man opened the back door of the Audi. May smiled at Happy as she slipped into the back seat, and as Peter approached the door he stopped, looking at Happy over the window.

 

“You never get the door for me,” Peter said confusedly. Happy smirked at him, giving the teen a firm pat on the shoulder. 

 

“Get in the car, kid, ” he said fondly, “I'm glad you two are safe.”

 

Peter gave a small smile. Suddenly, as he was slipping into the back seat, a shiver raced up the base of Peter's skull, his nerves gone haywire. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman with a phone pointed at them. He was distracted by his phone buzzing in his pocket, and when he looked up again the woman was lost in the foot traffic.

 

He sat down and Happy closed the door. He put the woman out of his mind, figuring he had more important things to worry about. Possibly having to live with Tony Stark being the most pressing.

  
  


\--

  
  


Happy and May were having a pleasant conversation through the rolled down partition of the car. Peter watched the exchange for a moment with curious eyes. Happy never kept the window rolled down when he drove him on the weekends. Shaking his head, he pulled out his phone. He had a response from Ned.

 

_ OMG! Dude! Are you ok? What happened was it the  ‘internship’? What are you going to do? Do you guys need a place to stay? I can ask my mom. _

 

Peter read the message a couple of times. Ned had a tendency to ramble, even in text messages. He chuckled as he typed out his response:  _ Relax man, I'm fine. No, it had nothing to do with the internship. We're good for a place to stay. I'll talk to you more about it at school. _

 

He sent the message and put away his phone. May and Happy were still chatting happily, so Peter looked out the window and watched the New York traffic. Cars moved by slowly in the afternoon congestion. Peter thought of his suit in his bag, swinging through the streets above the traffic. The knot in his stomach during those brief moments of freefall; nothing between him and the pavement but empty air.  The freedom his mask gave him sent his heart racing each time he put it on. A year ago he'd never have dreamed he'd be where he was now. 

 

It hadn't come without its cost. Uncle Ben, Liz, all people affected by his actions and inaction. Since finding out his identity as Spider-Man, Peter and Aunt May's time together had been tense. Some days it was fine; others, mostly when he awoke in the morning with yellowing bruises or a black eye, she would tighten her lips, looking away, and speak in clipped words. He knew she worried about him, wanted him to stop putting himself in harm's way.

 

He had been so lost in thought that he blinked in surprise as the Audi pulled into the private garage underneath Stark Tower. Happy rolled down the driver side window and scanned his badge on the panel next to the garage door. It slid open, and Happy pulled the Audi into a spot next to a row of flashy, expensive cars. The car was turned off. Before Peter could open the door, Happy had jumped out of the car and opened the back driver's side door.

 

Aunt May got out first. She smiled at Happy, “Thank you.” She said. Peter got out after her, nodding at Happy, looking slightly confused. The three made their way into the private elevator, and as they stepped inside the frankly large elevator box,  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s  _ voice echoed from the ceiling with an electronic Irish brogue. 

 

_ “Welcome back, Mr. Hogan. Mr. Parker. May inquire as to who you have with you?” _

 

Peter grinned and looked up at the ceiling, waving at the camera in the corner of the elevator. “Hey, FRI!” He said happily. “This is my Aunt, May Parker.” He looked at May, who was glancing between him and the ceiling like he’d grown a second head. “That’s FRIDAY, Mr. Stark's artificial intelligence. She runs the Tower and all of Mr. Stark's suits.”

 

_ “Good afternoon, Mrs. Parker.”  _ The AI spoke,  _ “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” _

 

May smiled uneasily, looking confused and out of her element. “Hello, FRIDAY.” She said.

 

Happy grinned at Aunt May. “She’s very helpful. FRIDAY, take us to the Penthouse.”

 

The only indication that the elevator had begun moving was the digital numbers over the door rising quickly. Peter was still amazed sometimes at the efficiency in which things at Stark Tower ran. It was by far the quickest and smoothest elevator ride Peter had ever experienced. The numbers clicked steadily upwards, and in just a few moments the doors were opening on the penthouse. A large room, bordered by curved ceiling high windows. A large sectional sofa was placed in a lower section of the room, down two small steps, looking out on the New York skyline. Farther into the room was a fully stocked bar, with leather bar stools. The entire room was open and bright, hardwood and marble floors, with cream coloured walls.

 

“Hey, Kid! Mrs. Parker.”

 

Tony Stark stood before the elevator, greeting them with his dazzling paparazzi smile. He took off his signature shades, hanging them on the breast pocket of his blazer. Peter was surprised when Mr. Stark pulled him into a loose, one-armed hug, and was more shocked when he did the same for May, pulling them close. Peter could smell Mr. Stark's cologne, and the underlying scent of motor oil and the ionized smell of electrical discharge.

 

“I’m relieved you two are safe. When  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y.  _ told me about the fire, I feared the worse.”

 

He let go of the two Parker's, smiling, and stretched his arms wide.

 

“But anyway, enough of this emotional crap. You two are safe, unharmed. So come on in, make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa!”

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
